Chamley-Watson and his teammates — Gerek Meinhardt, Alexander Massialas, and Race Imboden (boy, fencers have some cool names) — captured the bronze thanks to a 45-31 win over Italy, marking the first time in 84 years that Team USA medaled in the event. Russia took home gold after defeating France 45-41.

Chamley-Watson was born in London but moved to New York City and later Philadelphia upon arriving in the U.S. at the age of eight. The 26-year-old was a key contributor for Penn State from 2008-2012, winning the 2008-09 NCAA Team National Championship. He made it to his second individual foil semifinals in a row as a sophomore, only to be defeated by Meinhardt, who fenced for Notre Dame.

Chamley-Watson would later qualify for his hometown 2012 London Games as a member of Team USA. Though he suffered an early exit in the second round four years ago, Chamley-Watson bounced back to claim the 2013 Individual Foil Championship before making his second Olympic team this summer. He’s been considered one of the world’s premier fencers for over eight years.

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About the Author

Ethan’s a senior journalism major who grew up in Lemont, a few minutes from campus. When he’s not covering Penn State sports, you can usually find him golfing or teaching snowboarding at Tussey Mountain. Feel free to email him at [email protected]